Mensa Cites New W&m Professor's Work

WILLIAMSBURG — Tracy Cross, a new faculty member at the College of William and Mary, was recently awarded the Mensa Education & Research Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Cross was surprised with the presentation at a recent School of Education meeting. He is the seventh person to receive the honor since it started in 1999, according to information provided by the university.

The foundation is the scholarships, education and awards arm of American Mensa, the U.S. affiliate of Mensa International. Mensa is an organization for those with a high IQ.

Cross started this semester as William and Mary's new Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Psychology and executive director of the Center for Gifted Education.

According to the foundation, the award is presented to individuals who have "contributed a lifetime to scholarly pursuits in intelligence, giftedness or creativity."

Cross was chosen because of his "dedication to research in the field of gifted students over the span of 15 years," according to a press release.

During his career, Cross has become "the most active researcher in the world on the suicidal behavior of gifted students," the release said.

He has written five books on the subject and has served as the editor of every research journal in the field of gifted education.

"The innovative research of Dr. Cross sheds light on an important issue, suicidal behavior, in the realm of gifted students," Greg Timmers, president of the Mensa Education & Research Foundation, said through a press release. "He has worked tirelessly for the past 15 years in the area of intelligence and gifted students, which is the forefront focus of the Mensa Foundation. Dr. Cross deserves this award and we look forward to his future research."

Cross came to William and Mary from Ball State University in Indiana, where he had worked since 1997.